Sporting shoots. Where - and how did it go?

[Doug Pinnegar]

I ventured out twice this weekend. Firstly to Sean Perry's shoot on Saturday morning; cracking day with some interesting target presentations. The one that had everyone talking the most was the use of his Daughters trampoline to bounce clays! Here is a little video:


I managed a respectable 82% which would have been much better if I didn't struggle so badly on one stand (3/10!)

I woke up on Sunday quite tired but decided to drag a friend out to his first competition shoot. We decided on Longridge as it was about an hour away, I knew nothing about the shoot so we merrily made our way over.

It turns out that this is a fairly firm shoot, certainly a respectable set of targets put on. I started off quite well but the tiredness caught up with me towards the end and I started making silly mistakes. Ending on 59/100 which isn't great but not the end of the world considering the standard of targets.

 

[Sian]

I ventured out twice this weekend. Firstly to Sean Perry's shoot on Saturday morning; cracking day with some interesting target presentations. The one that had everyone talking the most was the use of his Daughters trampoline to bounce clays! Here is a little video:


That looks like a bit of fun!

 

[Jim Wheeler]

that`s different ! clever presentation,...

my old club has a lake across which we launched a normal, upside down,, skimming low, so it bounced about 5 times , also very entertaining !

 

[Doug Pinnegar]

that`s different ! clever presentation,...

my old club has a lake across which we launched a normal, upside down,, skimming low, so it bounced about 5 times , also very entertaining !

Now that's an interesting take on a rabbit style target!

 

[Jim Wheeler]

there are a few ways to amuse a few mates, or corporate guests,,apart from bouncing ducks above,, try balloon shooting,,,

per shooter,you need 3 to 6 helium  balloons per shooter, depending on ability!,  release them 15 yards away from the gun,  gun must only load on sight of targets, and reload as required to get them all ! costs a bit ,,,about 80p a balloon, needs skill in a wind as they go anywhere, like a  zz.

you may  well know about shooting model aeroplanes ,looks like fun too.  you can also put on snooker, as a pool shoot, with a basic but toughish`red` for 1 point to hit followed by a nominated `colour` trap,,, yellow(easy target) 2 points,  thro to black, (very tough)for 7 points down side is you need 7 machines! but again,, can sort the boys and girls  from the rest,,,, 

 

[andypandy]

I shot Oakedge as well on Sunday with the new vantage, totally different from the kemen! And having been shooting since 1983, won a few county champs and represented both my county and the Royal Air Force Teams it was my first ever REGISTERED English sporting. I hit some hard ones and missed a lot of easy ones  .

 

[CharlesP]

Pilford again this morning. I do look forward to Pilford.

It was colder than promised by the Met Office, I wasn't the only one to feel it, so I have my dear wife that the heating at home is now officially in use. I have already conducted a search for thicker socks, vests and the like and from now on I shall dress for winter.

A great little layout; I was caught out by a long looping flat clay that presented itself as a disc for everyone else but a thin edge-on line for me (at least it felt that way) and I dropped a couple of those. All my other misses were simply lack of focus. I knew where I wanted to put the shot, but simply failed to do it. Sloppy shooting. Apart from one shot where I actually seemed to flinch. The muzzle ****** away from the target, the shot was fired, and I was miles off.

I enjoyed the morning, and my next door neighbour who joined us gave a memorable display of hesitation followed by an excellent shot when a colourful pink clay emerged from the trap - he didn't know about the random "hit this one and win a bottle of wine" thing that they do there. He acted just like a pigeon shooter confronted by something that isn't quite like a pigeon and did the "do I shoot it or leave it alone" action for a second. This is the chap who last year shot the first of a simultaneous pair, auto failed to load for the second shot, and in one fluid motion cycled the bolt to load the next cartridge, returned the gun to his shoulder and fired at the rapidly descending second clay resulting in a cloud of clay dust. Great stuff!

I would say that the standard of target difficulty was well chosen, a few easy, some hard, one or two rather challenging. 

Importantly, I rate the bacon baps there as first class. Everyone is friendly (staff and shooters alike), and I can't wait for next month.

Edited to add: I shall not allow my eventual score the oxygen of publicity.

 

[Will Hewland]

Went to Gunsite today as I had not been there for 15 months. Always a shame to miss Weston wood, but wanted to get the variety. 

I started on some of the least hard stands and was still dropping targets, so I could feel I wasn't on best form. Then I hit the harder stands, of which there were many! A poor 79 for me, but I think I would have been 86 max on a good day. I found it all quite fiddly with a lot of edgey long stuff I didn't expect. I gather the last shoot here was a bit soft; well this one was a fairly strong correction to that it seemed! Ade Johnson was on a good 92 when I left and I don't think there is much more out there.

 

[bisondan]

I just got back from Gunsite and was pleased with my 79 on what was quite a tough shoot, dropped 6 out of 10 on my first stand and half the rabbits, everything else wasn't too bad.

Stuart Rudling winning on 96 when me and Rosso left.

 

[Deleted member 753]

Went to Gunsite today as I had not been there for 15 months. Always a shame to miss Weston wood, but wanted to get the variety. 

I started on some of the least hard stands and was still dropping targets, so I could feel I wasn't on best form. Then I hit the harder stands, of which there were many! A poor 79 for me, but I think I would have been 86 max on a good day. I found it all quite fiddly with a lot of edgey long stuff I didn't expect. I gather the last shoot here was a bit soft; well this one was a fairly strong correction to that it seemed! Ade Johnson was on a good 92 when I left and I don't think there is much more out there.

I just had a call from a friend who shot Gunsite today. Said it was a good challenging course. 230 entries he said, if that's true then that must be one of the biggest attendances on record.

I decided to go to Weston Wood after convincing myself that the traffic around the Oxford road works would be fine early, which they were, no problems.

Steady shoot at Weston with a few different layouts and one stand that killed me, dropping 5. This was the stand on the decking with a SIMO pair. The shoot itself was reasonably well attended, not sure on end numbers. I was quite shocked to see the entry price had now gone up to £40 for competition. Not sure if that is a price I wish to pay week in week out. But that is only my opinion. It will be interesting to see what the entry fee for the 120 birders at Westfield will be going forward. I heard lot's of rumours, but I shall not put the costs I heard on this forum. Steve may wish to reply with the entry costs himself. Stew 

 

[Rosso]

To much queuing at Gunsite. Long long queues. Messed up teal and rabbits. 

 

[Will Hewland]

We got round Gunsite in 1hr 40. Started half way down. A shocking amount of cars there as we drove out though.

 

[Parcours pete]

Just back from gunsite absolutely Rammed 

fantastic targets had to work hard for  decent score 

6 away first 4 stands felt half asleep and not smooth 

woke up and went two away final 8 stands for 92 

turbo and Rich king 96 shared high gun 

 

[Will Hewland]

Just shows how good the best guys are. 96 there is amazing, anything in the 90s excellent. For a big crowd, backing two stands off a bit would have made it great IMO.

 

[chippy]

Tough shoot at barrowheath today 89 was leading when I left. I dropped 12 over 3 stands which was disappointing but shot the rest fairly well for 82. If iam within 10 of HG iam happy.  Just waiting for someone to tell me that 95 or 96 won it.

 

[Steve Lovatt]

Hi folks just back from another busy day at the wood with close to 250 people but got finished by 3.30 ish so good day all round and two special bits of shooting by firstly Cheryl hall with an amazing 96 !!!!! But then an absolute blinding 98 from Martin Myers to take high gun on what was a tricky course .

just to clarify next week at Westfield the entry fee will be £45 for the 120 birders as it always has been , see you there folks .

steve

 

[Sian]

It was a lovely shoot today Steve, dropped a few silly ones and the rest I'll be back to try again.  Really happy with the way I shot a couple of the stands.  

 

[HardFocus]

Weston Wood for me today - Managed to win "C" class with 81 which I am over the moon about.

 

[Steve Lovatt]

Really happy for you Paul , keep up the hard work and it will all come together ,!!!!! That wasn't an easy shoot today .

 

[HardFocus]

Steve,

Thanks for the help and advice over the last 12 months especially the stuff about really staring hard at the clay with concentration and focus.